Cubs' Wood Looks to Notch Wins in 2003

Published 7:00 pm, Thursday, February 13, 2003

AP Sports Writer

Kerry Wood threw from the mound Friday as Dusty Baker leaned on a pole to watch, worked over his familiar toothpick and made mental notes on his No. 1 starter.

"Kerry Wood is one of the finest youngest pitchers around. He's getting better and he still has some things to learn," Baker said as Chicago Cubs pitchers and catchers held their first spring workout under tents because of wet, sloppy conditions.

"Right now, he's our No. 1 pitcher," Baker said. "We have some guys coming on very quickly right behind him, and that's what happens when you have young players."

Nearly four years after reconstructive elbow surgery cost him the 1999 season, Wood's health is no longer an issue.

Still only 25 years old, the 1998 NL Rookie of the Year is looking to better his 13 victories of that remarkable first season and put his career in overdrive.

"It's nice coming into the spring healthy," Wood said.

"I don't have to worry about if I'm going to be able to start throwing when everybody else throws. I don't have to worry about this or that, just worry about pitching and getting to know my teammates."

Since his surgery, Wood has bounced back with seasons of 8-7, 12-6 and 12-11, but now looks for more.

"I need to get more than 13 wins," he said.

"It's definitely a number I'd like to get rid of. It's something I look at and it's not too appealing to me."

Wood might have gone over 13 last season when he pitched 200 innings-plus for the first time in his career. But in his 11 losses, the Cubs managed to score only 21 runs. And if the offense let him down, the bullpen was just as bad _ seven times he got no decisions after leaving games with leads.

"It's not fun to go through," Wood said of the lack of offense. "It really doesn't upset you. You don't get mad _ no one's out there trying not to do their job _ but it does get frustrating."

"I don't assume anything. He hasn't said anything to us," Wood said. "The No. 1 guy gets the first game and after the first game, we've got three or four guys who are No. 1."

And Wood is eager to get to know Baker, his fourth manager in six years. He's also worked with four different pitching coaches.

"It's kind of all I've known since I've been here, all kinds of pitching coaches and managers," Wood said.

"That's the game. When something is not working, changes will be made. Things haven't worked out for us and changes have been made."

Wood made his mark on baseball in just his fifth major league start when, at the age of 20, he struck out 20 Houston Astros in a one-hit masterpiece.

In his career, he has surpassed 200 strikeouts three times and has allowed a .211 batting average. Sometimes, he struggles with his control. Last year he walked 97 batters and hit 16 others.

"The control is a work in progress," he said. "I'm still going to have some problems, but for the most part, like last year, I felt I had only two or three starts where I didn't have control.

"If I can make 33 or 34 starts and have a couple of bad ones, I'll take that."

Wood's rookie season was also a different experience because it's the last time the Cubs made the playoffs. They beat Baker's San Francisco Giants in a one-game playoff to win the NL wild card that season.

"That's the year I look at, 1998 is what baseball is to me," Wood said.

"You play for something all year long and then you are able to achieve a goal at the end of 162 games _ 163 that year. We haven't had a chance to get back to that."

Notes:@ Team officials say they're not sure if Sammy Sosa will arrive to camp later than the rest of his teammates as he has the last several seasons. Cubs position players report Feb. 18 with a workout the following day. The mandatory reporting date is Feb. 25. "I haven't talked to Sammy and I'm assuming he'll come in like everybody else," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said Friday. Baker said he hadn't discussed the issue with Sosa. "I don't know if Sammy will be late," he said. … Reliever Kyle Farnsworth's right index finger was struck by a ball as he was taking bunting practice in the cage Friday. X-rays were negative.